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rigor followed by retraction of violence followed by conceffion-of mistake, weakness, and inconsistency. Did ever Heaven punish the vices of a people more feverely by darkening their Counsels ? In the Netherlands, a few States fimilarly circumstanced with those of America, withstood for 30 years the whole force of the Spanish monarchy when at its zenith, and at last humbled its pride, and emancipated itself from its tyranny. The citizens of Syracuse, also thus circumftanced, withstood the whole power of the Athenians. The fame happened in the contest between the House of Auftria and the Cantons of Switzerland. There is an infinite difference between fighting to destroy and fighting to preserve liberty. Were we therefore capable of employing a force against America equal to its own, there would be little probability of fuccess; but to think of conquering that whole Continent with thirty or forty thousand men, to be transported across the Atlantic, and fed from hence, and incapable of being recruited after any defeat; this is indeed a folly so great, that language does not afford a name for it. Perhaps I am not in the present instance free from the weakness of fuperftition, but I fancy I see in these measures fomething that cannot be accounted for merely by human ignorance. I am inclined to think that the hand of Providence is in them, working to bring about some great ends.

ends. But suppose the attempt to subjugate America successful, would it not be a fatal preparative for fubduing yourselves? Would not the disposal of American places, and the distribution of an American revenue, render that influence of the Crown irresistible which has already stabbed your liberties? Turn your eyes to INDIA: there, more has been done than is now attempted in America: there, Englishmen, actuated by the love of plunder and the spirit of conquest, have depopulated whole kingdoms, and ruined millions of innocent people by the most infamous oppreffion and rapacity. The justice of the Nation has flept over these enormities. Will the JUSTICE OF HEAVEN sleep? ARE WE NOT NOW EXECRATED ON BOTH SIDES OF THE GLOBE?" -For this publication the writer was deservedly honored with the thanks of the City of London, and the freedom of that metropolis was presented to him in a gold box, by an unanimous vote of the corporate body.

During the pause of anxious suspense preceding the commencernent of the memorable campaign of 1776 in America, it will not be improper to take a general review of the state of Europe for fome years paft, and of its actual situation; his Majesty having in his late Speech afferted, that the dispofition of the several Powers of the Continent

promised a continuance of the general tranquillity. FRANCE, in an historic sketch of this kind, muft neceffarily

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neceffarily occupy the fore-ground of the picture. The death of Louis XV. who, for the long term of nine-and-fifty years, reigned with absolute and arbitrary sway over that vast monarchy, had taken place nearly at the commencement of the present troubles (May 10th, 1774). He was succeeded by his grandfon Louis the Dauphin, who had fcarcely as yet attained the twentieth year of his age. This young Prince had in the year 1770 married the Arch-Duchess Marie Antoinette, daughter of the Empress-Queen-a princess endowed with all the fafcinating graces of her fex; by which apparently aufpicious alliance, according to the shortfighted views of human policy, the peace of Europe, so often disturbed by the contentions of the rival houses of Bourbon and Austria, seemed to be firmly cemented and secured. A great acquifition of revenue and territory had recently accrued to France by the death of Stanislaus, King of Poland (February 1766), in a far advanced age; in consequence of which event, the duchies of Lorraine and Bar, poffefsed by that Monarch in full property during his life, reverted to France, agreeably to the treaty concluded A. D. 1736, with the Court of Vienna, under the fortunate auspices of Cardinal Fleury.

The latter years of the life of the late King of France were paffed in a feries of political conflicts with the several Parliaments of that kingdom, particularly

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ticularly the Parliament of Paris; which high and august Tribunal still retained, by means of its constitutional privilege of enregistering the royal edicts, without which they had no legal validity, fome degree of control over the actions of the Monarch. And this relique of their antient independency, by which alone the facred fire of Liberty could be difcerned to exist in France, the Parliament appeared with reason to guard with the most vigilant jealousy. An edict having been issued in the royal name, by which new and extraordinary powers were transferred to the Great Council, incompatible with the established rights of the Parliaments of the kingdom, remonftrances were presented to the King from most of those bodies; and in that offered by the Parliament of Paris (May 19, 1768) is the following remarkable passage :-" Your Parliament, Sire, is not afraid on this head to remind your Majesty of the ever memorable words which the First President Harley addressed to Henry III. in 1586. "Sire," said the magiftrate, we have two forts of laws : -one fort are the ordonnances of our Kings, and these may be altered according to the differences of times and circumstances; the other fort are the ordonnances of the kingdom, which are inviolable, and by which you ascend to the Throne and to the Crown, which your predeceffors preserved. Among these public laws, that is of the most sacred kind, and has been most religioufly

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ligiously kept by your predeceffors, which orders, that no law or ordonnance shall be published but what is verified in this Assembly-They thought a violation of this law was a violation of that by which they were made Kings."

It was afterwards proposed, at an extraordinary feffion, to state to the King that the existence of the Grand Council itself was a grievance. This, however, was negatived, the Duc de Choiseul and the Princes of the Blood attending in person to oppose the motion, by a majority of two voices; and the Parliament contented itself with presenting another memorial to the King, shewing the neceffity of afcertaining the limits of its jurifdiction, and fecuring the Parliament against its encroachments by a clear and positive law. But the Parliament of Toulouse, less moderate, issued an arrêt by which all persons were forbidden, under fevere penalties, to conform to, or execute any judgment of the Grand Council within the province of Languedoc,

Scarcely had the ferments excited by this obnoxious procedure of the Court in any degree fubfided, when a new and far more ferious contest arose in consequence of the memorable profecution commenced in the Parliament of Paris against the Duc d'Aiguillon, Governor of the province of Bretagne, for high crimes and misdemeanors in the adminiftration of his government. While the Na

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